brooks



(No Model.)

B. J. BROOKS.

SELF FASTENING SEAL.

No. 348,509. Patented Aug. 31, 1886.

Units TATES Fries.

ATENT EDlVARD J. BROOKS, OF EAST ORANGE, NEsV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO E. J. BROOKS & 00., OF NEXV YORK, N. Y.

SELF-FASTENING SEAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,509, dated August 31, 1886.

Application filed July 23, 1886. Serial No. 208585, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

'3e it known that I, EDWARD J. BROOKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the State of New Jersey, haveinvented a new and useful Improvementin Self- Fastening Seals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is additional to my improvements in self-fastening or snap seals patented August 12, 1884, and April 27, 1886. (Letters Patent of the United States No. 303,417 and No. 340,932.) This class of seals have flat metallic shackles with snap-catches at their respective extremities which interlock with each other.

The present invention consists, primarily, in the construction of the seal part, or sealing-tube or case, as I new term it, partly of suitable metal-such as type metaland partly of transparent glass, so as to obtain the advantages of the latter for exposing to View the catches interlocked within the ease, with less liability to accidental breakage thereof, and at less cost, as compared with the glass tubes heretofore proposed by me.

It consists, further, in such a case with its metallic part cast fast at one end on one end of the shackle, in combination with a shackle having snap-catches at its respective extremities and a guard to close the other end of the case, so as to prevent access to the interlocked catches.

It also consists in a case partly of metal provided with a panel, preferably of glass and paper, bearing distinguishing marks, numbers, names, initials, or the like, and held in place by causing or permitting the fluid metal to embrace two or more of its edges in casting the case, whereby one and the same set of molds may answer for all the seals of a given style or size, or those of a given railroad, for example, and at the same time distinguishingmarks to indicate the seals applied at the respective sealing-stations on such road or those applied by different persons or for different portions of a route, with serial numbers and other marks, such as are desirable on seals, may be readily added, and in such a way as to be protected against fraudulent access thereto after the seal is fastened.

A sheet of drawings accompanies this specification as part thereof.

Figures 1 and 2 of these drawings are magnified perspective views of the case and other parts at the respective ends of the shackle a smaller scale, showing it applied to a pair of car-door staples preparatory to fastening it. Fig. 6 is a like view of the fastened seal having superaddcd thereto a back view of the case as exposed by turning up the fastened seal. a case in tube form, illustrating certain modifications. Fig. 8 is a small scale face view of a fastened seal emboding the latter, partly in section; and Fig. 9 represents crosssections of such cases of different shapes.

Like letters of reference indicate like or corresponding parts in the several figures.

Each of the seals represented consists of a flat metallic shackle, A, and a case, B, the

Fig. 7 is a modified perspective view of former having snap-catches s s at its respective 7 5 extremities, adapted to interlock with each other when forced past each other within the case endwise, and a'guard, G, for each entrance to the case.

The case Bof each seal, which is its peculiar 8 part under the present invention, is mainly of a suitable metalsuch as type meta1with a transparent window-panel, w, of glass, (which may, if desired, be multipled,) to expose to view the interlocked snap-catches within the 8 Such panels may 0 manently united with the shackle A at one end 5 of each by casting the metallic portion of the case upon the shackle, for which purpose the case has a solid end, 0, partly separated from the body of the case by a narrow vertical hole,

h, formed by clamps, which hold the shackle IOO end within the mold. The guard G, fast on the other end of the shackle, may be and is adapted to slide freely within the entrance to the case, the catches being so located as to preclude its withdrawal after the catches are interlocked. It may be, instead, of the form shown in section in Fig. 8, for example,.and, in connection with such a guard, or one simply fianged, as shown in my said patent of April 27, 1886, the outer end of the glass panel 10 need not be embraced by the metal of the case. Said case B, Figs. 1 to 6, is furthermore provided, parallel with said window-panel 10, with a designation-panel, d, (best seen in Figs. 3 and 6,) which is preferably of glass, with paper or the like, 1), bearing the distinguishing-marks of the seal cemented to its inner side. In the example the paper 1) has both sides printed, with route-marks a, showing through the window-panel w, as seen in' Figs. 1, 5, and 6, and road-initials b showingthrough the glass of said panel (1 at the back of the case, as seen in the superadded back view in Fig. 6. Other suitable markssuch as numbers or names-may be substituted for either of these marks, and they, or either of them, may be indelibly printed upon or formed in the glass itself or in panels of other materials Without departing from this part of my invention.

The case B of the modified seal (represented by Figs. 7 and 8) is of tube form, as aforesaid, and being designed for usein connection with guards G on both ends of the shackle, of cap form, as shown in section in Fig. 8, the ends of its single glass panel 10 are exposed, as seen in Fig. 7, being inclosed by the guards when the seal is fastened. This panel is furthermore provided with a designation-mark, c, on itself,

in the molds.

As illustrated by Fig. 9,the case 13, instead of being rectangular in crosssection, as in the particular seals above described,may be round or oval, for example, with its interior of like form or rectangular, as may be preferred. Proportions and other like details may be varied also withoutdeparting from this invention.

With a case, B, of tube-form and guards G of cap-form, as represented in Figs. 7 and 8, the parts may be preliminarily united at the factory by inserting one end of the shackle and indenting its guard, as represented at m, Fig. 8, so as to tighten it sufficiently.

Having thus described my said improvement in self-fastening seals, I claim as my invention and desire to patent under this specification- 1. A self-fastening seal having a case partly of a suitable metal,provided with one or more window-panels of transparent glass upon which the metal is cast fast, substantially as herein specified.

2. In a self-fastening seal, the combination, substantially as herein specified, of a shackle having snap-catches at its respective extremities, a case partly of a suitable metal,provid-' ed with a window-panel and cast fast upon one end of said shaekle,and an entrance-guard cast fast upon the other end of the shackle, whereby said catches, when interlocked within the case, are located behind said windowpanel and protected by a single guard, in the manner set forth.

3. In a self-fastening seal, a case partly of metal, provided with a designation-panel upon which the metal is cast fast, said panel bearing the distinguishing-marks of the seal, substantially as herein specified, whereby seals with various marks may be cast in one and the same set of molds, as set forth.

EDWARD J. BROOKS.

lVitnesses:

.ToHN J os. I-IALLEY, HENRYL. O. WENK. 

